a sweet Halloween treat

Hi! Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. It's just so fun to dress up and gorge on candy. I tend to be sort of a chicken but a little spookyness can be lots of fun! Today I'm going to go to club party, dress up as a punk rocker chick and dance the night away. What are you plans?


Yesterday we were all surprised at work for a special Halloween treat! Aren't these little bottles cute?! They made us spooky little bottles filled with some chocolate and coconut candy from Colombia! I love that they recycled the glass juice bottles, got creative with printing on sticker paper and then sewed adorable little ornaments out of felt! How cute is that! It was a very sweet surprise we were all a buzz all afternoon!!! Happy Halloween!

a sweet Halloween treat

Hiya quick update + travel chic

Hi! I've been blocked at work from blogging :(, which is too bad because I hardly waste time blogging at work anyway (lately) but alas I will have to be posting in the evenings from the comfort of my own home. I don't have anything particular to share. I just felt like saying hello. I'm feeling all mellow and lovely right now. A friend and I are trying out a yoga class and it feels super good. I haven't felt lovely and worked out in while! Lately belly dance has been kicking my bum so this feels good and I think will help!

I've been obsessing about my travel plans for Montevideo/Buenos Aires trip. Planning what I'm going to see, eat and wear! I've got the knitty gritty details like hostels and ferry boats all reserved up now it's just find things to fill my time! I'm making google maps, general calender of events and budgeting! I can't wait and though this is the first time I will be traveling solo, I am really looking forward to some alone time and adventure! I guess I inherited a my dad's love of research and travel! Because I've gotten all pycho in my planning and preparation! It's way too fun. On a lighter note I would really like to pack with only the essential. I'm planning on bringing one small bag and purse for 10 days! So I am trying to think of outfits in my head with just some basic light weight clothes. Just for fun I made an imaginary collection of items I would pack in a bag for my trip...and made 3 different looks! HAHA I know. But if you have a moment it's really fun to put yourself through the challenge of making cute looks with just a few items! Have a great week!

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travel chic: airplane by Lalipourie featuring wool shawls

travel chic: bicycle ride by Lalipourie featuring a striped handbag

travel chic: ferry ride by Lalipourie featuring a striped handbag

Hiya quick update + travel chic

foodie friday!

Here are some things I've eaten or cooked at home in the last 2 months or so.




1) mimosas at Fashion Week Panama 2)sambar and masala dosa at local restaurant Sabor de la India 3) at home curry roasted carrots, green beans with fresh pesto, stewed yellow split peas and brown rice medley (a vegetarian feast!) 4) raspao-Panamanian snow cones 5) roasted veggie & tomato soup with homemade whole wheat/garbanzo flour veggie pizza 6) oven roasted root veggies with curry tofu 7) dinner at a girlfriends house: toasts with olives & sauce, eggplant and chayote 8) oven roasted plantains with spices served with homemade whole wheat papaya and coco muffins and some rum raisin ice cream!

So I've been promising my newest recipe card for Papaya Seed Dressing for a long time. I finally finished the design and since I took so long to get this up here I also redesigned the my first recipe for Quesadillas with Yummy Lentils and added Smoked Pork Chops with Apples. Did you know you can eat papaya seeds? Well you can and they are said to be good for digestive problems. I used the papaya seed dressing for salad and to marinade chicken breast. It was the best with the chicken. Very flavorful! Enjoy! Just print and paste back to back for you recipe file! Let me know what you think!



*©Laurie's Kitchen recipe cards are for your personal use only and I maintain the copywrite. Thank you.

foodie friday!

do you no poo?

*image linked to source
So apparently there is this No Poo movement, where basically you stop shampooing your hair. The idea behind this is that shampoos are filled with chemicals and strip hair of natural oils. Consequently we produce more oils and then our hair gets greasy and our scalps get itchy forcing us to shampoo again completing the cycle of dependency on shampoo. My best friend introduced me to this idea about a year ago. Initially it sounded interesting, but I figured I'd let her try it out first and told her to get back to me with her finds. Knowing my BFF, and her love of showering she didn't last too long and then I sort of forgot about it.

However, I am a firm believer in shampooing less through experience. As a classic American girl, I absolutely had to wash my hair everyday. But I have always been sort of blessed in the hair department, I have super easy hair to take care of. My routine was (and basically still is), washing it and letting it air dry....I know I'm annoying and I know for a fact that is not the case for everyone. But hey can you blame me if my hair is shiny and soft no matter what?????? Hehehehe. When I moved to Panama, one of the many different cultural difference I noticed was hair washing routines. Most girls washed there hair only once a week and often go to the hair salon to get it blown out straight. To me this seemed bizarre and I didn't think I could ever let my hair go more than 24 hours without shampoo. But at some point (don't remember exactly when), I just stopped washing it everyday. I don't even remember major transition issues either but eventually I adjusted my hair shampooing routine and am proud to say I only was my hair about twice a week.

But then coming across Cucumbersomes post today it reminded me of the crazy No Poo movement my BFF mentioned so long ago. And I'm thinking maybe I could try it...or just reduce my shampooing even more and try it with a mix of baking soda/apple cider vinegar routines? Have any of you out there tried it? Did it work for you?

some interesting articles:
when it comes to shampoo, less is more
The No-'Poo Do
how to go no poo
Ditching shampoo a dirty little beauty secret

do you no poo?

Let's play dress up: rainy day blues

We all probably have a love/hate relationship with the rain. There's nothing more lovely than falling asleep to the rain, or being at home with a warm cup of tea or cocoa and being cozy while it rains outside. And not to mention the glee and wonder that is when you see a beautiful rainbow! All that lovely rain is great, well, until you actually have to go somewhere! Sometimes when it rains I get majorly colossally grumpy. I hate that I can only wear certain shoes, or have to lug around an umbrella or raincoat...or when it ruins my beach trips or plans for spontaneous picnics....or the most dreaded of all things being forced to take a taxi home...If you have ever been to PTY you know, the stress that comes with having to take a taxi when it rains. It's a huge pain in the you know what! But this post isn't just about the negative aspects of rain today I'd like to pretend that every time it rains I do it in style! So hope you like imaginary outfit!

rainy day blues by Lalipourie

+Here's a picture from the office when we saw a double rainbow! (2nd rainbow hard to see but it was there!) It was soooooo beautiful and fleeting! It absolutely made my day. Moments like that I guess make the rain not so terrible.

* These pictures are for your personal use only and I maintain the copywrite. Thank you.

Let's play dress up: rainy day blues

healthy start

Happy Tuesday! How was your weekend? Mine was lovely! Beach trip sort of fell through due to weather but I spent the day at El Charco with a couple of friends chilling out on the waterfall munching on tortilla chips & hummus, sipping sangria and discussing recent travels. It was both beautiful and relaxing.

So I've been a little lax on my food diary lately but I am happy to say that since I started I've lost about 2 inches! My main issue(s) are when I forget to keep track of my meals. I also notice I screw things up in the afternoons and on weekends. Those are my big issues and I need to choose better when eating out. But I'm happy with the pace I'm going. I would like to loose about 3 inches and I'd be a happy clam.

I've woken up the past 2 days for yoga, pilates and belly dance before getting for work and my usual 40 minute walking commute. That extra bit of time to wake up slowing really lifts my spirits! I soooo need to remember that when I hit the snooze button...anyway to keep myself inspired in this life long change here is a collage of inspiration from my healthy pinboard! Have a great week!



*images linked to source or check out more ideas at my healthy pinboard

healthy start

on the corner + happy weekend

OMG! I'm so happy! Well about a year a go I was the lucky winner of a free plane ticket with Copa Airlines! After months of debating I've finally settled on my location and picked up my tickets today! Hurrah! So I am going to be traveling to Montevideo, Uruguay and Buenos Aires, Argentina in mid November. Couldn't be more excited. I'm a huge research/travel nerd so I've been looking up every last detail in preparation. Super excited about shopping in street markets, walks along beach promenades, tango dancing, bicycle adventures and meat eating! Buahahhahaha!

Ok. So as a fashion nerd I even found a Buenos Aires Street Style site! Check out the lovely ladies and gentlemen of On the Corner! YAY!






What are your plans this weekend? I think tonight will be a chill Friday with my boyfriend. Leftover spaghetti and a movie perhaps. Tomorrow errands and dance class and Sunday I'm off to the beach!!!!! Happy weekend!

on the corner + happy weekend